NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Country Music Association is preparing to celebrate the music of the 1990s at its 60th annual awards show, but one of the decade’s familiar voices says he has been denied a place on the red carpet.
Sammy Kershaw announced Thursday, Nov. 5, that the CMA rejected his request to walk the red carpet with his wife, Mendy, at the Nov. 18 ceremony in Nashville. The Louisiana singer says they had adjusted touring plans and booked travel in anticipation of the event before learning the request was denied.
The timing has brought particular attention to the decision. This year’s CMA Awards are expected to look back at the artists and songs that helped define country music in the 1990s, the same decade in which Kershaw became a fixture on country radio.
His catalog includes “Cadillac Style,” “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful,” “Queen of My Double Wide Trailer,” “Third Rate Romance” and “Love of My Life.” His career includes a 1993 CMA Horizon Award nomination, and Kershaw says the association granted him lifetime membership in 1992.
Kershaw has also participated in CMA Fest and continues to perform live. He and his wife previously appeared on the CMA red carpet in 2016. His current complaint concerns access to the red carpet; it does not establish that he has been barred from attending the entire awards ceremony.
The singer’s announcement has drawn public support from other country performers. Riley Green, Carly Pearce and Jake Owen responded in support of Kershaw, while fellow 1990s hitmaker Mark Chesnutt criticized the treatment of veteran country artists.
The disagreement raises a question as the awards show prepares to revisit a defining era: how prominently should the performers who built that era be included in its celebration?
As of Friday, Nov. 6, the CMA had not publicly provided an explanation for the reported red carpet denial. Kershaw’s account of the decision remains the basis of the dispute.
The 60th annual CMA Awards are scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 18, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, with Lainey Wilson hosting.
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